When Fulton started nursing school, she thought she would eventually work in a labor and delivery department, but later found that she loved the emergency department due to its fast pace and the way it allowed her to help the community. She graduated nursing school in 2017.

Since becoming a nurse, Fulton has become a regular blood and platelet donor. Platelets are a type of blood cell that allow the body to form clots to help control bleeding. According to the Central Texas blood bank We Are Blood, burn victims, premature babies, organ transplant recipients, trauma victims, and cancer patients are the primary demographics in need of platelet transfusions.

Fulton tells communityimpact.com, “I decided to become a regular donor because I feel like doing community work is really important. Working in the emergency department, I actually see the products that are donated being given to patients. I can see the immediate benefits of donating.”

Blood banks are in need of a steady supply of donations, especially platelets, because platelets have a shelf life of just five days and cannot be stockpiled the way that blood donations can. Platelet donations take between 70 minutes and two hours, as opposed to 45-60 minutes for regular blood donations. Only 47% of the US population is eligible to donate based on their blood type.

For Fulton, multi-tasking by reading guilt-free during a blood donation satisfies her desire to relax while also helping people in her community in her time off. She calls it a win-win!

To learn more about Roseanna Fulton, an emergency room nurse in Texas who has demonstrated the importance of community through giving blood, visit here.